Best phones to play Honkai Star Rail: iOS, Android & more

Jitendra Soni
Honkai Star Rail artwork with ROG Phone 7

Are you looking for top smartphones to play Honkai Star Rail? Don’t worry. We’ve scoured the internet and listed the phones with enough horsepower to run this graphics-intensive game easily. 

Honkai Star Rail is a new a game from HoYoverse, which has already raised the bar when it comes to graphical intensity on smartphones. While many phone makers claim their devices are built for hardcore gaming, only a handful can handle the game’s demanding graphics without draining the battery in minutes.

The studio has also listed the minimum specs required to play Honkai Star Rail on a phone. A 90Hz display is ideal for greater responsiveness, but the game appears to be capped at 60 FPS.

Honkai Star Rail smartphone requirements

  • Android: Snapdragon 835, Dimensity 720, Kirin 810, or newer
  • iPhone: iPhone 8P, iPhone X, or newer
  • iPad: Apple A12 processor or better (iOS 12 and above required)

Gaming phones

Other Phones

The best gaming phone for Honkai Star Rail: Asus ROG Phone 7

Asus ROG Phone 7 series
  • Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  • Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED
  • Storage: up to 512GB
  • Memory: up to 16GB
  • Battery: 6000 mAh
  • OS: Android 13
  • Camera: 3x rear( 50MP+13MP+5MP) + 12MP front
  • MSRP: starts at £999

The recently launched ROG Phone 7 and 7 Ultimate are among the fastest smartphones on the market. Both phones are similar in specifications with some minor differences.

Powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC coupled with up to 16GB of RAM, the ROG Phone 7 has advanced cooling tech and AI-powered features, to boot.

The phones also have programmable AirTrigger shoulder buttons that are able to emulate a gamepad’s bumpers and triggers. When it comes to intense gaming, there’s even an option fan accessory.

The phone has a massive 6000 mAh battery pack and a Gorilla glass-protected 6.78-inch OLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate and 720Hz touch response rate.

The ROG Phone 7 and 7 Ultimate not only meets Honkai Star Rail’s minimum requirements, but it offers significantly better specifications all around.

Starting at £999 and going up to £1,399, the Asus ROG Phone 7 line-up is a pricey device, and if you want a cheaper option, check out the next entry.

The best budget gaming phone for Honkai Star Rail: Redmagic 8 Pro

ZTE Nubia Redmagic 8 pro
  • Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  • Display: 6.8-inces OLED
  • Storage: up to 512GB
  • Memory: up to 16GB
  • Battery: 6000 mAh
  • OS: Android 13
  • Camera: 3x rear (50MP+8MP+2MP) + 16MP front
  • MSRP: starts at $699

Another gaming smartphone loaded to the brim with all the ingredients needed to make your Honkai Star Rail gaming session enjoyable is the Redmagic 8 Pro. 

It features the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC at its core, with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. The phone has a tall 6.8-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 960Hz touch sampling rate, protected by Gorilla Glass 5.

Powering this phone is a 6000 mAh battery pack. It comes with a triple camera setup at the back, while the front-firing selfie camera is an under-display camera, which means the massive 6.8-inch OLED display offers an uninterrupted, notch-less gaming experience. 

Like the ROG Phone 7, the Redmagic 8 Pro also has shoulder buttons, stereo speakers, and an advanced cooling system.

Available at a starting price of $649, the Redmagic 8 Pro is the cheapest gaming phone on the list. It also has a translucent back with RGB.

Other phones to play Honkai Star Rail

While you might want to play the game, you might not want to have a dedicated gaming phone, so we’ve also listed some of our top recommendations for non-gaming focused phones that will also be able to run the game at buttery smooth frame rates.

The best premium smartphone for Honkai Star Rail: iPhone 15 Pro Max

iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • Processor: A17 Pro Bionic
  • Display: 6.7-inch Super Retina
  • Storage: up to 1TB
  • Memory: 8GB
  • Battery: 4441 mAh
  • OS: iOS 17
  • Camera 3x rear (48MP + 12MP + 12MP) + 12MP front
  • MSRP: starts at $1,199

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the latest flagship from Apple, and it’s one of the, if not the most premium smartphone you can buy. Featuring the latest A17 Pro processor under the hood, the smartphone can handle whatever tasks you throw at it.

You also get stunning visuals on the iPhone 15 Pro Max thanks to a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with an adaptive 120Hz (ProMotion) refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. There’s also an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

The smartphone offers up to 1TB of onboard storage and comes with a single 8GB RAM option. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is not exactly a gaming phone, but it packs everything you’d need for a smooth gaming experience.

The performance of the device is better than any gaming phone out there, and you also get a better-than-ever camera system. The iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199 for the 256GB variant and goes up to $1,599 for the 1TB option.

The best Android smartphone for Honkai Star Rail: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S 23 Ultra All colors
  • Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  • Display: 6.8-inches OLED
  • Storage: up to 1TB
  • Memory: up to 12GB
  • Battery: 5000 mAh
  • OS: Android 13
  • Camera: 4x rear (200MP+12MP+10MP+10MP)+ 12MP front
  • MSRP: starts at $1,199

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is currently the top Android phone on the market. Equipped with the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, it features a massive and stunning 6.9-inch AMOLED panel, which is among the best displays Samsung has to offer, supporting a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra provides up to 1TB of onboard storage and 12GB of RAM, ensuring smooth performance for any task. In addition to a well-integrated software and hardware experience, the phone also boasts an impressive camera module, with the primary camera featuring a 200MP sensor and a built-in S-Pen.

Similar to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is designed for power users and offers excellent value. The phone can efficiently run graphics-heavy games like Honkai Star Rail, and the stunning OLED display enhances the overall experience.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is available for $999 on Amazon, while Best Buy offers the 256GB variant for $899.

The best alternative Android smartphone for Honkai Star Rail: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
  • Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  • Display: 7.6-inch OLED and 6.2-inch OLED
  • Storage: up to 1 TB
  • Memory: 12GB
  • Battery: 4400 mAh
  • OS: Android 13
  • Camera: 3x rear (50 MP+12MP+10MP) + 10MP front
  • MSRP: starts at $1799.99

Foldables are a new breed of smartphones, but they are no less capable than your regular bar phones. If you want a graphically-rich gaming experience like Honkai Star Rail on a folding phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is definitely worth considering.

Equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, the handset has balanced thermals and offers smooth performance. The 7.6-inch display on the phone lets you experience the rich graphics of Honkai Star Rail in a more immersive way.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 features OLED panels for both displays, supporting a 120Hz refresh rate. It is available in multiple variants, with options for 12GB of RAM and 1TB of onboard storage.

 An unlocked Galaxy Z Fold 5 can be purchased at Best Buy, with prices starting at $1,799.

Also, make sure to check out our other guides:

Is Honkai Star Rail cross-platform? Crossplay for PC, Android and iOS | Honkai Star Rail PC & Mobile requirements | All free Honkai Star Rail characters | Can you play Honkai Star Rail on Steam Deck?

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About The Author

Jitendra loves writing about tech, especially smartphones. He has almost 10 years of experience. He spearheaded the TechRadar India editorial operations and has written for TechRadar, TechRadar Pro, Free Press Journal, Mobile Scout, IB Times Singapore, Indulge Express, and more. He can be reached at jitendra.soni@dexerto.com